Alien: Covenant Review

Alien: Covenant brings the terror back to the franchise.

When Ridley Scott returned to the sci-fi genre with Prometheus, the response to the film was lackluster to say the least. Many were disappointed that Prometheus never lived up to the expectations of a Ridley Scott Alien film. There are even those who believe that Scott has lost his touch. But after the success of The Martian, fans began to believe that Scott can bring the Alien franchise back to prominence with Alien: Covenant. But does he? Does Ridley Scott bring the Alien franchise back to form with Alien: Covenant?

You bet he does. Alien: Covenant is a thoroughly entertaining and terrifying film. Those who need their palette cleansed after Prometheus, this film will do just that.

Alien: Covenant follows the crew of the Covenant, who are on a journey to colonize a remote planet far from Earth. Along the way, they discover an uncharted planet that has habitable capabilities. Their fortunate find turns into terror as the crew must escape from their newly discovered threat.

Much of the criticism for Prometheus stems from the stodgy story written by Damon Lindelof and Jon Spaihts. Prometheus dealt with so many big and complex ideas that it never fully came together at the end. For this reason, it’s a bit of a relief to see screenwriters John Logan and Dante Harper scale it back a bit.

Unfortunately, some of the minor issues plaguing Prometheus makes its way to Covenant as well. First and foremost, Covenant’s characters are very one-dimensional. One of the elements that gave Alien’s Nostromo crew such depth is the effortless banter between each character. In Alien: Covenant, every line seems either expositional or disposable. You never get a sense of who these characters are and what makes them tick. Thankfully, there is a lot of chemistry between each crew member of the Covenant. They genuinely feel as if they’re a family.

Another element that helps Covenant out is the figurative roller coaster ride that the story takes us on. Much like a roller coaster, there’s a slow burn to the beginning of the film. Then all of a sudden, we go from 0 to 100 really quick. From here on out, audiences will go through a fair share of exciting and slow points.

What makes Alien: Covenant truly shine, though, is Ridley Scott. After The Martian, it’s safe to say that Ridley Scott is truly back. The way that he brings the world to life is so convincing. From the practical to visual effects, everything just looks so realistic. You instantly transfer into this world without any hesitation. In addition, the film will go through its 2-hour runtime fairly quickly.

Scott instills a sense of mystery and intrigue that’ll keep you entertained throughout. It also helps that Scott brings back the horror that was sorely missing in Prometheus. Alien: Covenant is violent, brutal, and bloody—as an Alien horror film should be. Though keep in mind that the final act may be a bit of a mess.

The cast of Alien: Covenant does a great job as well. As previously mentioned, the chemistry between the cast is palpable. Again, it’s Michael Fassbender that steals the show. His witty, inventive and malicious portrayal is truly fun to watch. Katherine Waterston also holds her own as Daniels. She goes through a wide array of emotions that she’s able to pull it off flawlessly.

Danny McBride is the biggest surprise in the film. Those who think McBride will be portraying a loud character in Covenant shouldn’t worry. You don’t see the brash character that he typically portrays. Instead, he’s more low-key and is actually good in the role.

The rest of the cast are good in their own right. But since this is an Alien film, they quickly grow indistinguishable. Unfortunately, Billy Crudup is the weak point here. He portrays the character with little to no life. Not to mention he seems less human here than Fassbender’s Walter.

Overall, there is much to like about Alien: Covenant. The film is an astonishing experience to go through. Sure, the film isn’t a classic but it brings back everything that we miss from the Alien series. Long story short, it’s terrifying, beautiful, and very entertaining. Welcome back to Alien franchise Sir Ridley.